1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and applications for implementing remote, distributed computing systems over a wide area network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of distributed computing systems have been developed for distributing integrated computing processes over disparate computing resources connected by a network. Distributed systems have been adapted for many different types of networks, including for public, wide area networks such as the Internet. The Internet in particular represents a distributed computing resource that is already larger than seemed conceivable just a decade ago. Yet, the Internet still has tremendous growth potential in at least three parameters, each of which can increase the power and speed of distributed computing: (1) the population of network nodes; (2) the computing power available at each node; and (3) bandwidth. The multiplicative effect of continued growth in these three parameters means that the computing resources available for distributed computing should continue to expand at an astonishingly rapid pace for the foreseeable future.
Nonetheless, prior methods and systems designed to use Internet resources for distributed computing have been quite limited in scope. Some systems have been successful, for example, the system operated by the SETI@home project, about which more information is available at http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/. Each of these prior systems requires that each Internet client in the network download (or otherwise receive) and install agent software on each participating client node. Because the active participation of individual users is required to initiate a client node, prior art systems are unlikely to ever harness more than a tiny fraction of the distributed computing resources available on the Internet. Most users will simply never take the time to install agent software for which they will receive little or no direct benefit. This is particularly true when the distributed resources are desired for private use, instead of for public research or charitable uses for which users may perceive a public or charitable benefit. Some have proposed providing payments or other incentives for use of a client node, but it is doubtful that compensation at levels that are economically sustainable will ever be sufficient to motivate widespread initiation of client nodes. Furthermore, the operation of a payment or incentive program may impose a substantial administrative burden on the system operator.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a method and system for distributing computing over the Internet, that overcomes the limitations of prior art methods and systems for distributed computing.